


BOTW Shorts

by TheOddshipper



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M, Friendship, I still can't tag as you see, Post Game, Romance, Teen rating cuz who knows what I may do, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-07-11 01:00:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15961328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOddshipper/pseuds/TheOddshipper
Summary: Link isn't what Zelda thought he'd be after he he saved her and they brought down Ganon, very few people know how he has been feeling and thinking.





	1. A Mistake

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: This first one had so many mistakes...I fixed them best I could but certain there are some I missed.
> 
> These are just gonna be short stories, I got inspired by this: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14210781/chapters/32759595 Its quite good XD
> 
> Now uh...before anyone gets on my case about Link here...I'm sorry but look I'm a little realistic about this. Person wakes up with no memory, is ify with fighting can't maintain weapons so they break and gotta find more. Can't make a whole lot of supplies to recover from wounds with and finds the whole world resting on their shoulders and no one bothers ask this person what they want, how they are feeling or helps with their memory.
> 
> I don't know about you but I sure wouldn't be happy.
> 
> As for Zelda's father...I'm mad him for how he treated his daughter and I made my point in fanfic as to why so I won't explain here.
> 
>  
> 
> Well I hope you enjoy the fanfic, point out my typos please XD

He had come for her, Zelda always knew Link would come to save her and defeat Ganon setting Hyrule free. There was...something off though. Link called her by her name, but hardly spoke to her and seemed almost...cold. The princess wanted to brush it off as not gaining all his memories but he had showed her on the slate he found all the locations, she didn’t understand this.

She came from her thoughts seeing Link waving a hand before her face. “Oh, yes?” He sighed looking her over. “It won’t do for you to be seen like this, the kingdom may be gone but you are still the princess...besides…” He made a face at the dress she wore. “That thing doesn’t seem to fit you all that well, your travel clothes did and your royal dresses as well, this thing just…” He trailed off a moment. “It makes you look fat and we both know you aren’t. Who the heck designed it?”

Well she certainly hadn’t been expecting that. “To be honest I never liked it myself, as you say it does not fit me well. But I was required to wear it while in prayer-” He intrepped. “Which is utterly stupid.” He frowned. “I’ve been studying our gods and goddesses just about from when I first woke up, no where has it ever said that people had to dress in...anything fancy or anything else. Whoever insisted you wear this, they were a fool.”

Zelda frowned in turn. “My father had me wear it.” Once again she got something she didn’t expect. “Well that explains it then.” He turned from her and started going through his pack, once he knew he had what he needed and turned back to her and lifted a brow at her anger. “My father wasn’t a-” Link placed a finger against her lips annoyed. “I don’t recall a whole lot Zelda but what I do, I am not happy about. Lecturing and scolding you wasn’t going to make your power come and praying everyday that Hylia or whoever else would awaken it?” He scoffed. “Stupid. For all your life before Ganon arrived you were praying, if things hadn’t changed by your teens years that was a clean sign praying WASN’T the answer. He could have handled things far differently and he chose to be king over being a father.”

The princess could only gape at him, she wanted to be angry still but Link was right. Prayer had never done anything and after so many years everyone should have realised it wasn’t the answer. She squeaked when Link locked an arm around her waist, before she could question him they were lifted off the ground and changed into blue particles if it could be called that and were whisked off.

Zelda gasped when they landed...at the top of one of the towers, Death Mountain. “Wha...why are we here? How are we getting down?”

Link stared at her a moment. “Did you not say you watched me sometimes? No wait…” He paused. “There could have been sometimes you had to get a tighter hold on Ganon right?” She nodded. “Alright then.” Link withdrew his paraglider and unfolded it. “There’s a large body of water down this way, it's a hot spring. We’re both going to clean up, there are two sides. We’ll go on opposite sides to avoid seeing each other...although if you need help don’t get all blushy about it.” What?! “But-” He pointed at her sharply. “No. Listen, I don’t really care about seeing a woman without clothes on. I will not touch you in anyway that indicates I want something besides if that were to happen between us, we’d both have to be happily in love and married first. Frankly, I don’t see anyone letting the second part happen. Now come on, wrap your arms around me and we’ll go down. I’ve done this before.” Still not pleased but trying to go along to avoid more sharp tones form Link she did as asked and had a death grip on him when he led them both of the tower and toward the water below.

“...Zelda...we’re on the ground. Unless you want to keep trying and failing to break me in two, let go.” Quickly she did so only to see that, yes they were on the ground and no in the water. Which...considering how tightly she had held Link was a good thing, perhaps he considered that and had them land here. “Link…?” He had taken several items out of his pouch, two good sized buckets, shampoos and soaps all in liquid form, a couple small cloths, towels and an extra set of clothes...wait was that her old travels clothing? Maybe Impa had kept it and passed it along to her people to watch over.

“I didn’t get any undergarments, for one thing it didn’t seem right and for another I had no idea what size you wore and was not going to ask anyone who knew you who was still around. It’s not something that should be openly discussed in my opinion.” Zelda nodded in understanding. “What are the buckets for?” She asked him picking one up. “We’re going to clean up and use the buckets to gather water and pour it over ourselves to wash the soap and such away. A gerudo told it worked well when not near a washing house with a working shower.” He explained, she breathed out softly still uncertain of this but he also wasn’t quite as cold now. The use of her name was still odd but that could be chalked up to his memory, she hadn’t gotten pictures of the places they argued about him calling her by name.

Just because Link was calm about this whole thing didn’t mean Zelda was, female servants helped during a bath never males! Link had given her the most unimpressed look when she insisted she could manage on her own, easier said than done. Washing her back proved a challenge but other than that she washed up just fine. Relaxing in the water was very nice too, a couple fish swam around her arms when she lifted them in the water.

Twenty minutes later she heard Link shuffling and looked up the the path way up the mountains seeing Link adjusting the champion tunic around his shoulders, she didn’t want to make him wait for her but the water felt so nice- oh. Link was drying his hair before anymore water got to the tunic, not that it’d stay there long the air here was warm enough to dry it quickly.

The princess waited until Link had brushed his hair and placed it back in the pony tail before asking that he please turn away so she could get out. She got an eye roll but he did turn away, she hated it to distrust him so but watched him carefully as she dried off and put her travel clothing on.

“Where to now?” Zelda asked Link as he gathered his things back up, even that blasted dress. “We go see Impa, quite a few of her people are still around. Just old...well not Impa’s sister. She deaged herself with with a rune.” Zelda blinked. “She can tell you herself if you ask her.” He held onto her again as he used the slate to move them to Impa’s village.

It was so nice to see Impa again and not looking like a mess either, her granddaughter appeared to...have feelings for Link but he didn’t seem to want to do anything about it. He was nice to Paya and offered to help her and several others with a feast for Zelda which he was gladly taken up on.

A couple kids flocked to Link but when he gave them a look they ran off to play, he was cooking after all. It wouldn’t do for them to distract him and someone got hurt.

Zelda enjoyed being able to talk with people and move around freely, when she spoke improperly no one said anything even if it was a bad joke, in fact they laughed. The feast was wonderful as well, Link had never been a great chef in the past but he’d clearly been learning while on his journey. One of the children tugged his hand and asked for recipes, Link sat beside the girl and her little family and passed her a sheet of paper then started to talk about what most went well together. The child listened to him closely her sister grinned all the while beaming at him and their father...he looked proud and content...perhaps a bit relieved as well.

As good as the day had been everything fell apart that night. Zelda had woken from her best rest in 1oo years feeling thirsty, she had gotten up to get some water from the well outside when she heard Impa and Link talking.

“I already told you about this. Did you think I would change my mind Impa?” She heard Link snap causing the princess to flinch, he never...sounded like that before. “I had hoped you would, Princess Zelda is your responsibility, to guard and protect-” Link scoffed. “Yeah that went so well 100 years ago Impa, and speaking of it WAS 100 years ago. The kingdom is gone and so we don’t have royalty any longer, as such I don’t have to do a blasted thing.”

What was this? What was happening?

“Link, Champion ple-” An angry growl made Impa stop, Zelda covered her mouth. “I am not the Hylian Champion!” He hissed sharply. “Far as I’m concerned that person perished 100 years ago, me? The guy who woke up in that shrine? I’m a wild, strong and untamed explorer who happens to like helping people now and again and cooking! NO!” Zelda flinched again and gathered Impa tried to speak only to be stopped by Link’s anger, a whimper behind her told her Paya was now awake and hearing this as well.

“When I first got off the Plateau I was confused and lost! I was told by the ghost of the king a lot of what you later told me as well. I only told you I could take what you had to say to me because I wanted answers! An hour later I knew I made a mistake! I could barely use weapons and didn’t know how to maintain them so they kept breaking! I could barely cook anything and sure didn’t know how elixirs worked yet! Not that it would have mattered, hearty lizards aren’t in this area! If it wasn’t for Twi we, Impa never would have spoken!” Oh goddesses…Zelda knew his memory would be damaged but this was too much...but who was Twi?

“I went around being very angry Impa! I’ve had so much pressure on me and expectations and so much more it weighed me down! No one asked what I wanted, no one asked if I was alright and no one tried to help me with my memoires! And the blasted pictures Zelda took? I only gained memory of her and very little of the others! I was friends with Mipha for goodness sake and I can’t really recall her! Heck I even knew Daruk and same thing! Don’t remember! Worst still, I can’t recall any hobbies I once had, favorite foods, sweets, games, my family! Name it I don’t know because Zelda was selfish and only had me recall HER!”

Zelda drew back slightly from the stairs her hands over her mouth and tears filling her eyes, Paya hugged her gently from behind and thankfully said nothing.

“Link...you cannot mean that.” Impa sounded as shocked and heartbroken as Zelda did. “I do and I’ve felt this way for a long time. Did you ever wonder why it took me so long to get her back? It wasn’t just because the beasts were tricky, not just making certain I had good weapons and learned to use them, not just learning how to make elixers to keep myself alive and cooking for the same reason. Oh no, those were just part of it.” He growled. “I put it off just to spit the lot of you for never ASKING ME WHAT I WANTED OR FULLYING EXPLAINING AND OF COURSE BECAUSE SHE WAS A SELFISH BRAT!!!!”

He paused a moment to breath. “I have a number of people who have asked...and do really care. Dorian and his girls, they are a couple. I see him as a father figure and they were all too happy to add me to their family. Teba of the rito is the same, the gorons...well I have a hard time spending time there but me and Yunobo have talked. Sidon...has been a blessing to me and Riju…” He trailed off making Zelda’s heart sink. “Regardless Impa, I’ve been clear on this matter. I will not follow her around, she cost me too much I am too angry with Zelda right now to even consider being friends with her. Pick some men from the village to look after her when she decides to leave because I will not babysit her again. And for goodness sake have someone teach her some basic defense!”

A soft sound chimed. “Link you are taking the slate with you?” Impa gasped. “Yes, have the girl go to Hateno. Your sister made another slate, took her time which is another reason I didn’t go for your dear princess for so long. Her slate won’t have everything mine does, Purah wasn’t certain how to get the thing to work for all the shrines without tapping it to them like mine did and no way was I going to do that, there’s 120 of them! Even if I used the slate to go to them it would have taken hours and perhaps a whole day! Not only that she won’t have two of the runes, one is...something special and the other was a reward from a monk. She can have her pictures and the other runes, I’m leaving.”

Zelda’s legs gave out as she sobbed harshly, Paya tried to comfort her but managed little. Impa made her way up the stairs at her cries and merely sat with the two young girls in silence. There was nothing that could be said to make this better because honestly? A lot of what Link said was true.

No one had asked what he wanted or helped him with his memory, they all had thought...wrongly and now they paid the price. Link would calm down and talk with them again, friendship would be hard but it could be gained.

However, Zelda would never forgive herself for making such a mistake by not giving him anything about his family, hobbies and the like. What a terrible thing she had done to him, she’d give him space and time and hope he would accept her apology.


	2. Know Better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Didn't find much to fix here, but if anyone spots typos or the like let me know I'll fix it.

“Here you go!” Purah handed Zelda the replica slate, it looked the same but lacked a few things the other had. “Linky and I spent so much time on this but couldn’t copy two of his runes one...I don’t even know what it is and he wouldn’t say.” She huffed. “The other he got from one of the monks in the shrines but he wouldn’t let me see it...sure looked weird.” Zelda nodded lightly. “...Hey I heard from Impa what happened, I noticed he was different from before but could never have guessed this. I’m guilty of stuff like you too.” She snapped her fingers. “No gloomy stuff! Snippy snap!~ We owe Linky apologizes and I happen to know he got a house here!”

Zelda’s head snapped down to Purah. “He has a house here?” Purah nodded quickly. “Yup, it’s a small little place, never been there. But we can go now! Linky often has late dinners!” So...she wanted Link’s food more than to say sorry then and didn’t want the villages to see her. “Alright.” Zelda followed after Purah through the dark village.

Link’s house was fairly simple and kind of small, but there was lots of little flowers around it, a pond and a large apple tree. “Linky~ You in?” Purah called as she knocked on the door, she tried to open it only to find it was locked. “We’ll have to come see him another time.” Zelda sighed, it appeared Link wasn’t here. Maybe he stayed away from the village since it was likely she’d come here first thing for the replica slate.

“Nope, come on help me bust the lock I can’t lift this.” Zelda stared at Purah who was dragging a heavy iron hammer behind her. “Wha- We can’t break in Purah!” She made a dismissive sound. “Sure we can princess! We’ll go in and start dinner for him! I know he was earlier in the day, one of your guards said he was running off to get something but would be back by nightfall soooooooooo, we’ll give him a nice surprise.” She still wasn’t sure this was a good idea. “But he might get more angry-” Purah groaned. “Did 100 years stuck with the Calamity make you a stiff? Come on!” That did it.

The hammer was hard to lift, in the end Zelda just used some pins to pick the lock, for one thing it would be easier to fix than breaking the thing off. The house was...rather nice really but the gloom that fell over both of them was spotting the Champion weapons mounted on the walls. They looked well cared for and...unused.

“How lazy! He cleans those up but nothing else! Look at the dust!” Purah grabbed a bag that was under the stairs. “We’ll just clean up a bit for him then star cooking...um...haha what?” Looking over Zelda paused seeing the blue vail Purah pulled out. It was gerudo styled...it seemed Link had to dress like a woman to get in. “Purah!” Her friend was going through the bag some more finding monster parts, some bugs other clothes and food supplies. “He doesn’t even have cleaning supplies! Guess all we can do is coo-” A throat clearing had them both jumping and turning to the door.

Link stood in the open doorway holding a hearty durian, the harsh glare they were getting didn’t bode well. “Explain, now.” He demanded. Purah quickly took him up on that, saying they wanted to say sorry for everything and make him dinner and perhaps clean up a little but didn’t find cleaning supplies.

“That doesn't explain how you two go in here.” Zelda lowered her head. “I picked the lock…” He gave her a look. “You picked the lock.” He said dryly. “Why in the world could you not wait until I got back? And going through my things? You two might have had good intentions but in the end this wasn’t right. Outside now.” He snapped as he set the fruit on the table.

Quickly he joined them outside nearly growling. “Purah, you have the body of a child not the mind of one YOU should not have done this.” Purah hunched down a bit not liking to have Link mad at her. “And you,” Zelda flinched. “We are already on bad terms and you certainly know better than to do something like this.”

Both girls took his hissed angry words knowing he was right. “Go back to the lab, both of you. I don’t you to see either of you tomorrow. In fact, I have things to gather for my cooking and you two won’t be able to follow me there. Now get.”

The two slowly made their way back up to the lab feeling awful. Link was right, they both knew better and shouldn’t have done it. It was going to be a little harder now get his friendship after that.


	3. Twi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I first played I made sure had Wolf Link with me and he is so very helpful if you are new to the game and aren't good. He took down most enemies for em letting me save arrows and weapons and hunting was easier too with his help.
> 
> And later on? After you see Purah, you can track items with the slate. Wellll, if you summon Twi he will lead you to said items. Got so many hearty radishes XD
> 
> I edited this before posting but please point out typos and the like.

True to his word Link was gone all day the next day, nearing dusk one of Zelda’s guards told her Link had appeared at the shrine checking off a list.

Zelda wasn’t the best cook in the world but she could bake, Impa had told her Link liked egg pudding so she asked someone in the village to help her with ingredients.

Once the treat was finished Zelda gently knocked on Link’s door and waited. Link gave her a dull look when he opened the door after she knocked, Zelda held out the egg pudding. “I’m sorry...Link really I am.” He stared her down for a minute before sighing. “Come on, then. I’m taking my dinner outside the village so Twi can join me.” Zelda followed him. “Who is Twi?” She’d been wondering for a while now.

Link smiled the first one she had seen in a while. “A friend.” He led her to a little corner surrounded by trees just outside town, Zelda was about to ask where his friend was when a good sized wolf walked calmly between two trees and sat before Link. “Hey Twi, behaving yourself?” The wolf cocked its head then looked away from Link getting him to chuckle. “You’ve been harassing the bokoblins then.” The wolf huffed and paced quick little circles around Link.

“This is...Twi?” Zelda asked staring at the odd wolf. She had never heard of them looking like this or...having blue eyes-were those earrings? She twitched when the wolf, Twi looked at her. It felt like he was judging her and giving her the most disappointed look she’d gotten since her father.

“He’s going to give you that look for a while.” Link said as he took a seat on the grass. “He knows pretty much everything about me, how I think and feel so that is why he’s giving you that look-” Twi barked and nodded his sharply toward town, Link’s eyes narrowed. “I think he also knows you busted into my house...yeah you better get used to him looking at you like that.”

Zelda sat beside Link trying to ignore the look from the wolf. “How does he know?” Link frowned. “Honestly? I have no idea. He just seems to know things...and by the way he has given me that look before and worse.” Zelda’s jaw dropped as she watched Link wince. “Don’t give me that,” He muttered taking some dishes out of his pouch. “When I first woke up Zelda I had no idea what I was doing, I took a lot of risks I never needed to take and even got sick.” He shook his head placing some gourmet meat before Twi who gave a little hop and began to eat the meat.

“After a few shrines I noticed...I had a rune I didn’t gain from them. When I used it Twi appeared.” He sent a grin at the wolf. “He took one look at me and bit my sleeve and dragged me off to find hyrule herbs. He brought down a couple boars too. He had me boil a couple herbs and make copious fruit, I didn’t have supplies to make soup after all that was the best I could do.” He explained recalling just how little supplies he had back then.

“I felt better after a few hours, the herbs and food took care of my fever and the food helped my wounds heal…” He gave a little laugh. “Then...I swear he tried to lecture me, just let out this constant stream of barks and growls and even lightly nipped me. I let Twi guide me after that, figuring out what he wanted to tell me sometimes wasn’t easy but we managed.”

Link had set out a couple dishes on the grass and waved for Zelda to pick what she’d like. “You made these yourself?” She asked him picking gourmet poultry curry. “Yes, I picked up quite a few things. Twi helps me with hunting, I honestly have a hard time shooting from horseback so I tend to run around the Tabantha region with Twi. Frankly without him I don’t know what I would have done.” He shook his head taking up salmon risotto and meaty rice balls.

“I kept Twi with me often as I could but around guardians I didn’t dare, I had a hard enough time even with armor. Twi has none, two beams and he goes down. I have to wait a day to summon him again.” Twi whined and curled around Link placing his head in Link’s lap. “I’m allowed to worry about you silly wolf.” He got a huff in reply.

Watching Link interact with the wolf- Twi was interesting. It was like they had conversations. Although something about Twi was reminding her of...something but she couldn’t get the thought at the moment so just enjoyed Link’s cooking...and tried to ignore it when Twi gave her looks.


	4. Zelda, You Can't Cook!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please go back to the first short and see that link I left in the notes, that fanfic inspired these shorts.
> 
> Honestly I can see Zelda doing this -.-;

“No.” Zelda crossed her arms over her chest glaring darkly at Link while Twi sat near the cooking pot calmly watching the argument. “Link, you’ve been cooking our meals for the past four days. Or rather when I visited you at your home you did otherwise I got food with Purah or my guards. I think it's my turn.” Link shot her an annoyed look. “I don’t remember a lot about 100 years ago Zelda but I do recall you couldn’t cook because you insisted on experimenting with the food!” Twi perked up slightly a bit more interested.

“Trying new things is okay Zelda but not when you use creatures that are solely meant for elixirs or monster parts!” He snapped sharply making her flinch. “When something doesn’t work the first five times Zelda you should have stopped trying!” Twi growled softly bopping Link on the head with his snout then got up to nudge Zelda closer to the cooking pot. “Wha-”

“He wants us both to cook.” Link explained drawing a book from his pouch, he passed it to Zelda. “It’s full of recipes, I guarantee if you follow this perfectly your dish will be fine. If you go messing around you won’t get a good result.” Zelda frowned but took up the book, she could show him, she would!

Twi watched both hylians prepare their dishes, he was beginning to think his friend had been a little too harsh on the girl until she grabbed and icy bug type and one of those lizard like tails. Perhaps his friend hadn’t been harsh with her after all. Once the dishes were done Twi couldn’t help but lay down and cover his nose with his paws to avoid the woman’s dish. It smelt just awful and looked no better.

Link gazed at Twi who was inching away from Zelda and hiding his nose. “I don’t believe that bodes well.” He commented mixing his bowl of meat stew. Zelda still didn’t believe she was wrong, she ignored the scent of her dish and tried it anyway only to end up coughing and spitting it out. The wolf gave Zelda a disgruntled look, while annoyed she couldn’t understand she was wrong in this case she didn’t have to suffer. Luckily his friend agreed with him as he was giving the poor girl apple juice.

“I told you Zelda, you can’t add monster parts and creatures to food it doesn't work.” Link said as he passed her his bowl, she took it and tried a bite. Zelda slumped on the ground and sighed heavily. “Alright...you win.” Twi huffed and rapped her on the head with his snout making her twitch. “This isn’t about winning Zelda. Twi agrees. Some things you can mess with to your heart’s content but not cooking or baking. It doesn't go well as you clearly see.”

He was right and she knew it, Twi was giving her a new look now one Link didn’t need to explain. Twi was silently telling her she was being foolish and messed up. And the wolf was right, she really had to work on this. Perhaps Link might teach but she’d ask later once they were back up at Hateno.


End file.
